Vegetable Soup and Cornbread

Snow in April. I still don't know why people think this is actually going to happen. I saw two flurries maybe. Maybe one. Whatever.
But since it's a cold day, and since I have nothing better to do, I am making vegetable soup and cornbread. And I thought I'd share this really easy recipe because it's pretty much awesome.

Easy Vegetable Soup

Ingredients

1 Large Can of Veg-All (Large Vegetables)
1 Large Can of Veg-All (Small Vegetables)
1 Can Diced Tomatoes
1 Can Tomato Sauce
2 Can of Additional Vegetables (This is a preference. I love corn, so I add two more cans of corn). You can add okra, green beans, corn, whatever.
2 Lbs of ground beef or 2lbs of boiled chicken (preference)
Salt and pepper to taste
Hot sauce to taste

Directions

Brown the ground beef in a pan and drain. If using chicken, boil chicken, let cool, and pull apart.
In a crock pot add all of the canned ingredients and either the chicken or the beef.
Cook on low overnight. Or, throw this together in the morning/lunch time, cook on high for 5-6 hours.
Place in bowls, may want to let cool for 5 minutes, and serve!

My Mom's Redneck Cornbread

Ingredients

2 Cups Cornmeal
2 Eggs
1 1/2 - 2 cups milk
Dash of Salt
5 1/2 tablespoons of Crisco

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

Place the cornmeal in a bowl. In a separate small bowl, beat eggs. Mix eggs into cornmeal. Add milk in slowly. It should have a soupy consistency, and depending upon the weather (It's a southern thing), you'll be able to figure out eventually that exact soupy consistency. You may end up not using all 2 cups of milk.

Place a seasoned cast iron skillet on the stove on medium heat and add Crisco. Let this melt until and begin to pop. Swish around to coat the skillet, and then pour Crisco into cornmeal mix. Pour cornmeal mix into skillet and place on bottom rack in the oven. Cook time is approximately 30-45 minutes. Keep checking, inserting a knife to see if done. Cornbread will turn golden brown on top, indicating that it is done!

Serve with butter or put into vegetable soup! Delicious! :)